Lucky
by Accidentally The Whole Fanfic
Summary: While it wasn't their first date, it WAS their first festival together - and an opportunity for them to reflect upon how lucky they were to have friends so eager to tease, fuss, and embarrass them over it. Written for the Bikini Solstice prompt. Slash. Fluffy, cheesy, and corny - you'll think that you just read a Cheeto!


**Author's Notes:** And, completing the chain, my entry for my Bikini Solstice Prompt - currently running until October 1 at The Village Square! Check it out! I figured I may as well complete my set of seasonal prompts set in _Animal Parade_ , and I've grown extremely fond of this pairing recently, so I wanted to do an uncharacteristically fluffy one-shot for them. Like, "Dude, are you feeling alright?" levels of fluff. I apologize in advance for any cavities this treacle may cause. As a side note, despite the names and main pairing, and a few references, it's not really meant as a side story for Stumbling Out of the Shadows or anything. Just a little standalone. Hope you enjoy!

Lucky

* * *

The cicadas allowed their screeching songs to swell in small, mismatched pockets across Castanet, the salty breeze of the late afternoon rustling leaves and grass alike. The birds chirped in the mildly humid air, squirrels chattered, and the river burbled - an idyllic, mid-July day in the countryside, bringing a good number of its denizens outdoors to enjoy the Ocean Festival under the cover of patchy clouds.

Still, inside the air-conditioned walls of Sonata Tailoring, a cool bead of perspiration dribbled behind Toby Nishimura's ear, getting caught in his neatly-parted and combed silver hair. "Umm... I really do appreciate what you all are doing for us," he started kindly, "but... this is getting a little embarrassing..."

Scoffing, Luna Kozlowski waved a dismissive hand and held her chin, humming and squinting thoughtfully as she surveyed her neighbor. Her rose-colored curls bounced with every tilt of her head, as if she were appraising a sculpture. "Too bad. If you two had come to us when you'd _started_ dating, this would all be out of the way."

"Err, we were kind of hoping people wouldn't make such a huge deal about it, really..."

"Sorry, hon," Kathy Sullivan called from behind him, a devious grin on her face as she dabbed away some of Toby's sweat with a handkerchief. "You should know how people talk around these parts by now, and we damn well weren't gonna rest till we did this. Y'all are just too adorable _not_ to torture just a _teensy_ bit! At least your man's getting it, too," she added with a little chortle, turning back to browse through the racks of clothes lining the far wall of the shop. "We ain't just gonna let your first festival together be a cake walk, ya know? Gotta embarrass you _some._ "

"And be glad we're not taking this opportunity to make you two up like whores, while we're at it," Luna continued pointedly, eyeing the hem of the gray plaid sweater vest she'd slipped onto Toby moments before. "As much fun as that would be... well, _Julius_ probably is, knowing _him_ ," she added with a disdainful sniff.

Toby briefly imagined himself inexplicably painted up like a tittering geisha, and shuddered. He couldn't help but wonder if Julius _was_ subjecting Kasey to such mortifying things as they spoke. "Let's not go overboard, now," he agreed, gulping. While he was certainly glad that the people of Castanet had been remarkably accepting of or at least indifferent to his and Kasey's relationship - even his own uncle had been surprised, but overall pleased with the news, stating that Kasey was "an okay kid" - he knew very well that if Kathy and Luna felt so inclined, they probably _would_ bust out the make-up kits... at least to just screw with him a little.

Deciding to push the disturbing thoughts away, he dropped his outspread arms for a moment and looked down at the outfit Luna had stuck him in - a green polo shirt under the sweater vest, neatly-pressed khaki shorts, loafers, and black socks. With the way she'd also combed out his normally-shaggy mop like it was school picture day, he felt like she was about to slug him in the stomach and demand his lunch money.

"...Why am I dressed like Gill?" he finally uttered aloud, causing Kathy to sigh in relief and mutter " _Thank_ you" behind him, while Luna went crimson.

"Oh, _please,_ " she snapped, tossing her hair over her shoulder and folding her arms indignantly. "I don't know _what_ you're insinuating, but I want to make you look _handsome_ , not... not _dorky!_ "

"So you think Gill looks dorky, huh?" Kathy quipped casually, snickering as Luna let out an agitated groan and grabbed one of Toby's discarded socks, chucking it at her.

"Stuff it, Reba!"

"She's a redhead, hon, and I _wish_ I was her!" Kathy shot back nonchalantly. "And you sayin' our boy here ain't handsome? But he's such a widdle cutie-patootie, inn'eeeee?" she wheedled in a baby voice, pinching Toby's flushed cheeks.

"Ouch."

"I wouldn't put a _bag_ over his head," Luna admitted casually, "but why let potential just _sit_ there? I mean, even though _you_ like to just sit there," she added in a dry tone directed at Toby, straightening up his Gill-esque outfit a bit more and humming in satisfaction when she stood back to survey the results. "Really, this isn't half-bad! I amaze myself sometimes."

"He looks like Doug Funnie!" Kathy objected, shaking her head in disbelief. "Sheesh, stand aside and lemme have another go..."

Wanting to point out that he'd gotten himself ready for a few dates already, and that Kasey thought he was handsome just the way he was - but not wanting to subject his ears to the inevitable cooing and squealing that would follow that statement - Toby simply closed his eyes and let out a long-suffering sigh, remaining otherwise quiet as Kathy snapped her fingers and rustled through a rack of clothes behind him. _Please don't come back with an Owen-shirt or something,_ he thought pleadingly, hoping they wouldn't take all day. While he was fully aware that Kasey was being put through a similar ordeal over at Julius's house at that moment, they'd still agreed to meet up by six, so as to avoid _most_ of the scrutiny and gossip, and at least catch the fireworks together. And the tailor shop's Hello Kitty clock currently read a quarter till five.

"Tadaaaaa!" Kathy sang, holding out her submission before him and prompting him to open one eye in curiosity - while it wasn't the muscle shirt he'd been dreading, he still wrinkled his brow in confusion at the black leather jacket and blue jeans. "How badass is _this_ , huh?" the blonde woman cheered, giving the outfit a little shake and making the chains on the jeans pockets rattle. _Why on Earth were there chains?_

"Well, thank you for the thought, but I don't think I really want to be a badass," Toby protested gently, recoiling a bit as Kathy nonetheless dumped the James Dean ensemble into his arms. "I wouldn't know what to do."

"Aww, but you got that _baaaadaaaass_ tattoo on your birthday!" Kathy pouted, rolling up Toby's right sleeve slightly and pointing at the two small, black bands of diamonds wrapping around his bicep, with a cute little turtle sitting right in the middle. "Remember?" She giggled at the sight, as Luna popped up beside her and gaped disbelievingly at the tattoo, and then at Toby.

"I was wondering what that was I kept seeing on his arm! When in the hell did you get that thing?!" she squealed, grabbing Toby's arm and holding it out while he grimaced, shifting his other arm so as not to drop the clothes he was still holding. "It's _adorable_!"

"Err... I actually just got really drunk and woke up with this thing when I was visiting the Islands," he explained sheepishly, gently removing his arm from Luna's grasp and tugging the sleeve back down, blushing. Still, he reasoned with himself, it could've been much worse - according to his friend Denny, he'd apparently stopped Toby from asking for a tattoo of a can of tuna. Toby couldn't help but believe it. "I think Denny and Lanna talked me into getting it... and getting drunk in the first place..."

"We need to talk about getting him drunk more often," Luna decided, turning to Kathy and receiving a spirited nod in response.

"Seriously, those folks on the Islands really know how to party!"

Toby blanched and shook his head. "That... no thanks. I'm good. One tattoo was more than enough. And one hangover, too," he added under his breath. "By the way-" He nodded to the clothes still piled in his arms, "-it's too hot out to wear this jacket, isn't it? I'll burn up in no time."

Kathy folded her arms and frowned. "That's true. I figured it'd be cooler out by time y'all meet up, but..."

"No kidding," Luna agreed, snatching the outfit back from Toby and surveying it with distaste. "What the _hell,_ Kathy? He's going on a _date_ , not dying in a motorcycle accident! Where did you even _get_ this?!" Scrunching up her cherubic face, she stuck out her tongue and gagged. "I'm _definitely_ going to have to have a talk with Grandma about the things she lets us sell to the public..."

"You should probably speak to her as soon as possible, then," Toby suggested, leaping onto the opportunity rather shamelessly. "She and Candace are probably waiting for you to get back out there and have fun with them."

"You insult me," Luna returned blandly, rolling her eyes. "They're fine. They know what has to be done. Just wish I'd been able to rope them into it, too," she added in a mutter, now scanning the shelves and racks for anything else that might miraculously be stylish _and_ garner Toby's approval at the same time.

"And I'm giving Owen and Pop some time to bond, so don't even _think_ of trying that guilt-trip shit on me," Kathy chimed in, cutting him a sideways glare as she returned with the badass jeans. When Luna opened her mouth to protest, Kathy held up a hand to stop her. "Hold it, hon - how 'bout we just compromise?" she asked the petite seamstress, eventually getting a grudging nod in return. "Alrighty! I think I've figured something out, then! Just get your cute little caboose behind the screen and hear me out, okay?" she added to Toby, who shrugged resignedly and did as he was told, getting his hair rumpled in gratitude as he padded behind the changing screen and listened to Luna grouse about what a mess his hair was now.

"His hair's _fine_ , Strawberry Shortcake. Calm your tits a bit, yeah?"

Toby grinned and snickered as he heard Luna smack Kathy, slipping off the sweater vest and shorts and tugging on the jeans, and making sure to remove the troublesome chains in the process. Next, he kicked off the Gill shoes and socks for his usual sandals at Kathy's instruction. From the sound of things on the other side of the screen, she'd now gotten Luna into a headlock and was giving her a noogie.

Despite his general chagrin over letting his friends play dress-up with him and hearing them tease him about his relationship, he knew they meant well, and their intentions warmed his heart regardless. He'd learned what they were really up to when he and Kasey had been together in the forest that past Monday, as they'd strong-armed the farmer into agreeing first - and they knew all too well that Toby was too nice to back out of the agreement once it had been made.

"They just... umm... I-I don't wanna bum you out or anything..." Kasey had trailed off and rubbed awkwardly at the back of his neck when he'd started stuttering - as he often did when he was nervous - but continued at Toby's soft, curious encouragement: "W-well, they... you know, s-since your, umm... your parents and your aunt aren't, uhh... s-since they... they're gone, they figured, well... your mom and your aunt would've loved to... fuss over you and tease you and stuff when you, umm..." He'd gone red at this point and trailed off again, clearing his throat. "You know, when you... f-found someone. And they know what that's like and all..."

Toby's breath had caught in his throat at this, and he'd blinked away a faint tingle at the corners of his eyes, feeling Kasey rub his shoulder gently. "...Oh... wow. That's really... it..." His voice had cracked a bit, and he'd shot Kasey a small smile, clearing his throat and quickly regaining his composure as he was pulled into a brief hug. While Ozzie had done an excellent job of serving as a father figure to Toby, and was happy as long as Toby was happy, he was far from the type to make a big ordeal out of his nephew dating someone. "It... sounds kind of fun, yeah."

 _...But maybe I'll have to sit in when they finally put Chase through this,_ he thought back in the present, laughing quietly to himself and surveying his reflection in the mirror with a satisfied hum as he shook his silver hair back into its usual, acceptably shaggy state. The jeans were a bit smaller than the usual loose, baggy clothing he tended to wear, and the sleeves on the polo shirt were short enough that his tattoo would be slightly visible whenever he moved his arms. Still, overall, he didn't look half-bad - he idly wondered if the shirt was making his eyes look greener than usual.

Clearing his throat, he walked out from behind the screen and rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling awkwardly when he heard Kathy wolf-whistle at him. "Ahh, I take it that this'll do, then?" he asked hopefully, seeing Luna cock her head and fold her arms.

"You know... it's not awful," she conceded with a shrug. "Especially since you ditched those stupid chains. It's a little _simple_ , but you look cute enough, I suppose. You're free to go, guinea pig."

Slumping in relief, Toby scuffed a sandal on the floor, smiling at them. "Err, right... well, I'll pay for these first and be on my w-"

"-No, no no no no no," Luna interrupted, holding up her hand to cut him off. "The clothes are free to go, too. Seriously, you need _something_ half-decent to wear every now and then," she added in a snippy tone, though Toby didn't look offended by the remark at all - instead, she noted, he looked rather... touched. She sighed and jabbed a demanding finger at him. "And for fuck's sake, do _not_ get all sappy on me! I won't have it!"

"No worries about that," Toby agreed readily, looking to Luna and Kathy as he made to leave the store. "But... umm, really... thanks for everything, you two. Even if I griped a lot," he added, joining in when Kathy laughed at the remark, waving it off.

"It ain't fun if there isn't a little griping," she said, walking over and tweaking his cheek again. "Now you boys have fun, and don't let Kasey get you out of these clothes too fast! We spent a lot of time finding something for you to wear, after all~"

Face going red again, Toby hunched his shoulders and averted his light green eyes up to the ceiling, shaking his head in exasperation. "...Yeahhhh... well, I'm... I'm going to leave now," he finally mumbled, giving both of them a slight bow. "Have a nice day!" Before they could respond, he was walking outside and away from the tailor's as quickly as he could, waving to a few of his neighbors, and getting a compliment or two on how he looked - and a double-take from Ruth Sellers, catching a glimpse of his tattoo as he waved at her. He hoped he could grab a snack and a glass of juice from one of the stalls, and slip off somewhere else on his own until it was time to meet Kasey.

Back inside the shop, Kathy snickered and shook her head, hands jammed in the pockets of her red skirt. "Is it bad that I almost wanna drag Owen off so we can spy on those two?"

"I don't think Owen would be as... _invested_ in this as you are," Luna remarked, tutting and picking up the clothes Toby had left behind. "Honestly, that slob... he left his clothes here! I'm gonna whoop his ass next time I see him! I have half a mind to go out after him right now, as a matter of fact."

"Ohhh, no you don't," Kathy remarked, her boots clicking on the floor as she sauntered over to the door and blocked Luna off, a devious grin on your face. "He's a sweetheart - you can't whoop his ass! Anyway, we've still got an hour left before we gotta meet our guys - now we've gotta pretty _you_ up!"

"Ah, _crap -_ I'm _already_ pretty!" Luna protested as Kathy grabbed her arm and dragged her over to the stool upon which Toby had been standing earlier, plopping the shorter girl down and turning to browse the racks with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I'm a human being, _damn it -_ ew! What the hell _is_ that thing?! Kathy, I swear to God, you'd better not put that on me-"

* * *

"...I, uhh... I-I don't think this is, uhh..."

Eric Chase cut into the stammering, laying out his friend's thoughts in no uncertain terms: "Dude, he looks like a _pirate._ What the hell? Does Candace let you go out with _her_ like that?"

On the far side of Castanet, while Toby was being held hostage in the tailor's, Kasey Manatos pulled a face and tugged at the ruffled collar of the poofy white shirt he was wearing, cringing at his reflection in Julius's full-length mirror. He then pulled fruitlessly at the tight black pants, as if hoping they would magically loosen up somehow. "Y-yeah, ummm... Chase is right. I kinda _do_ look like a pirate... do people actually _dress_ like this?" he added, face twisted in bewilderment. "Like, in real life and everything?"

Julius Pasternak let out a disgusted sigh and swept his heavily-streaked violet hair over his shoulder, crossing his arms and tapping his foot disdainfully - perhaps not quite coincidentally, he was wearing a similar outfit to what Kasey was currently, and reluctantly, modeling. "Oh, please, are you going to listen to the opinion of a man who wears _bobby pins_ in his hair? And in broad daylight, at that?" Here, he shot a disapproving look at Chase, who simply rolled his eyes and flipped Julius off.

"Wear _this_ in broad daylight, Pasternak."

From her spot on Julius's bed, Renee MacArthur tossed in her two cents: "Hey, now, leave my man alone! I love the bobby pins!" She affectionately flicked at the peach-colored waves pinned back on Chase's head, getting her hand swatted away with a little grin. "But, seriously, Chase _is_ right. Kase looks like he should be steering a ship or something." She clicked her tongue, eyebrows rising in amusement. "I mean, I know Toby likes the sea, buuuuut..."

"Arrr," Kasey agreed flatly, causing Renee and Chase to snicker into their fists. "And, err, Julius... do the pants need to be so _tight_?" He turned to the side - which was hard to do in the clunky boots Julius had given him - and grimaced again, glad that nobody present had a camera. _I hope._ "Th-they're, umm... k-kind of crawling up my... uhh, m-my _butt._ I'm... I'm not really sure I'm cool with this."

"The pirate's showing off his booty," Chase quipped, sharing a grin with Renee as they bumped fists over the remark, while Kasey went beet-red and untucked the shirt, letting it hang down over his hips.

Eyes flicking to either side, Renee added in a sing-song voice: " _Crawwwwwling uuuuuup my buuuuuuuuutt_..."

"Renee!" Kasey sputtered, hobbling over to sit in front of Julius's vanity and unlace the boots, while Chase and Renee cracked up and fell backwards onto the bed. "C-come on, seriously!" In spite of his protests, he couldn't help but snicker a little bit, as well.

Rolling his eyes dramatically, Julius spun around on his heel and flung open his closet doors once again, shaking his head. "Well, aren't you _children_ just so droll. You know, I don't see either of _you_ offering any useful suggestions!"

"I don't know diddly-squat about fashion. I just wanna make sure you don't put Kasey in something revolting," Renee explained as she recovered from her giggles, shrugging and grinning at the farmer. "Well, I wanna make sure you don't _leave_ him in something revolting. Aaaaand because he knows I have to give him a hard time about this!"

"Are you sure it isn't just the second thing?" Kasey responded, still red-faced and returning the grin for a moment - he then cringed as Julius let out a satisfied exclamation from within the murky depths of his wardrobe.

"...Not entirely," Renee admitted, exchanging raspberries with him.

Chase shook his head, wiping his eyes from when they'd started tearing up during his laughing fit. "And _I'm_ just here because Renee made me come along. But it's kinda worth it, since the stupid shit you've put on Kasey is pretty hilarious," he went on, as Julius emerged from the closet with another outfit and huffed exasperatedly at Chase.

"Philistine."

Kasey cut Chase a wry glare as he accepted the clothes from Julius. "Thanks a _lot_ , man. What if I asked him to make _you_ wear these things?"

"They're not _things,_ " Julius insisted with a slight whine edging his voice, his protests going unheard. "Really, some thanks for my service... I could've stuck you with Luna, you know!"

"I'd have to kill you," Chase replied simply to Kasey's inquiry, though the smirks they exchanged undercut any sort of threat the words may have held. "And then I'd have to have a really awkward talk with Toby."

Renee nudged him in the side. "I dunno, I bet you'd be pretty cute if you rocked the pirate look."

"Sure, and then we'll get you a wench outfit so we can match," Chase agreed sarcastically, giving her a good-natured shove, which was lazily returned. He then tilted his head in surprise at what Kasey was holding. "Holy shit, Julius owns some normal people clothes. I mean, seriously preppy ones," he continued, indicating the gray vest and khaki pants Kasey was now holding out and observing. "But... that actually looks decent."

Kasey squinted and tilted his head, nodding slowly. "Yeah, I... I think this might actually be alright..."

"Of course it is," Julius agreed dismissively, waving his well-manicured hand at Kasey. The bangles on his wrist clanked with the movement. "I don't have a whole lot in your size, now, so we won't have much left after this. Come along, now, go and change! Aren't you supposed to be meeting your lover shortly?"

"L- _lover_?!" Kasey sputtered in protest, his voice - normally on the deeper side - pitching up in mortification. Nonetheless, he scurried over to Julius's bathroom and shut the door. " _Really?!_ " he continued from inside.

"Or _inamorato,_ whatever, _"_ Julius substituted in a still-indifferent tone - though he chuckled to himself as he heard Kasey's annoyed groan.

Still, Kasey reasoned with himself, as he finally managed to peel off the horrible, butt-invading pants and slip into the khakis, it could have been far worse than it was. He wasn't really the sort to ever dress up for special occasions, but Kathy and Luna had somehow found out that he and Toby were planning to attend the Ocean Festival together, and - with Renee's persuasion - talked him into agreeing to let them get him and Toby ready, separately, for their date. Julius had somehow caught wind of the idea, and insisted on at least helping Kasey out, since he lived closer to Julius, and "between the two of them, Kasey is marginally less hopeless."

"Well... they know what you went through before you moved here," Toby had explained to him that past Monday, during their walk through the forest. Kasey had brought the subject up moments before, explaining to Toby why their friends had insisted on pulling him into it - and learned that they'd spoken to Toby about it as well. "You know, all the bullying, people picking on you... they just don't want you to feel like that here. And Renee knows how much you miss your sisters," Toby had added with a little smile, nudging Kasey gently. "She figured maybe you'd feel more at home if they did something like this for you."

Kasey, for his part, had felt a slight lump in his throat and paused, uttering a quiet, disbelieving laugh. His heart had warmed, Toby squeezing his hand gently. "R-really? Th-they... th-they said that?" He'd sniffled a bit and chuckled again, feeling a little embarrassed at how emotional he'd gotten over the news. "...I-I guess it won't be _too_ bad, then..."

Granted, while his sisters Angelica and Vanessa had never gone so far as to help him pick out something to wear when he'd dated his ex - getting him into something other than cargo shorts, a t-shirt, and sneakers was too tall an order for their liking - the involvement of Julius and Luna had ensured that the two young men were destined to become temporary mannequins for a little bit. Still, Kasey found that in the wake of learning their true intentions, he didn't mind much at all - despite a few token protests here and there. _Thank god Julius didn't try to test out his make-up on me, though,_ he thought, picturing himself made up like a pageant contestant and shuddering. Were Luna and Kathy doing something like that to Toby right now?

Still, despite his embarrassment with some of the things he'd been made to wear, and the occasional playful jokes at his expense - which he'd gradually grown a little more comfortable with firing back - Kasey had to admit: his friends in Castanet had done a pretty incredible job of making him feel like he'd known them his whole life, even though he'd only arrived back in March. Feeling like he finally fit in, for once. The fact that he'd found someone like Toby had just been icing on the cake - and he had no intentions of screwing _that_ up, either.

Slipping the little black elastic band from around his wrist, he pulled his straight, brown hair back into the scruffy, low ponytail he'd started wearing recently, buttoning up the vest and smoothing out the dark red t-shirt he was wearing under it. After the other things Julius had stuffed him into - including bell bottoms, a tank top, and a fringed coat that had left Chase and Renee almost dying from laughter - this was actually... normal. A bit dressier than he ever really got, but not bad at all. _Why do I get the feeling he was just screwing with me, with that other stuff?_ he thought, smirking a little at the idea.

Renee gave a thumbs-up of approval when he emerged from the bathroom, handing the pirate clothes back to an impressed Julius. "Well, now, don't _you_ look dashing?" the violet-haired man said haughtily, though his white, even smile was genuine. "Hah, and you people doubted my abilities! My good taste! Personally-" He placed one hand on his hip, the other on his chest, "- _I_ think we can call this little meeting a success, hmm?"

"I've gotta say, you actually _do_ look pretty cool, for a change," Chase agreed with a little smile, as Kasey smirked back at him and stuck his middle finger up. "Watch it, Manatos. I'll chop that finger off and cook it."

"You flipped off Julius first," Kasey pointed out.

"Don't worry, Kase," Renee said, hopping off of the bed and wrapping her arm around him defensively, "I won't eat your finger, even if Chase begs me!"

Kasey raised his eyebrows and grinned down at her, ruffling her short brown hair. "It'd, uhh... it'd actually be a lot more helpful if you stopped him from chopping it off in the first place, you know..."

Shrugging, Renee reached up and flicked his nose in return. "Well, it'd teach you not to flip the bird at people, now wouldn't it?"

"Not really, I still have another middle finger..." He held up his left hand to wiggle his fingers at her in demonstration, before looking down at his watch and giving a little start - it was almost quarter past five. "Shit! I need to get going - err, s-sorry," he added, jamming his hands in his pockets and giving Julius a quick nod. "I just don't wanna be late meeting him..."

"Better run, boy," Renee said cheekily, tweaking his nose again and getting her hand smacked away lightly.

"Your obsession with my nose is weirding me out, Renee."

Julius waved off Kasey's earlier apology. "No worries, no worries - I need to get ready to meet up with Candace, myself. Go along, now, have fun! Go and ravish your little fisherman, or whatever it is you two do together."

Cheeks blazing, Kasey let out an exasperated groan and buried his face in his hand, the other three looking completely entertained by his reaction. "I-I... I'm not even going to dignify that. _God_ , man..." He took a few steps back into the living room now, nodding again as he gathered up his own discarded work clothes and waved to his friends, before turning to leave. "But, a-anyway... th-thanks! For, uh... well, all this," he clarified, hand on the doorknob now. "And, well... you know, umm... w-well, everything else, too..."

"Not at all," Julius responded with an offhanded shrug. "But the longer you stay here oozing sap at us, the better your chances of showing up late, you know." He emphasized the point with a shooing motion.

Face pulling into a grimace at the realization, Kasey smacked himself on the forehead. "Right! Right, yeah, so... so, I'll swing by and return these tomorrow - see you guys later!"

"Oh, just keep them!" Julius tried to call after him - but Kasey was already gone, taking off at a light jog. He slumped down into the seat by his vanity, sighing resignedly. "Honestly, he's just going to sweat all over them anyway, running off like that... what a mess."

"Kind of an adorable mess, though," Renee mused, sitting back on the bed next to Chase and giggling. Julius hummed in nonchalant agreement, wiggling his hand a bit.

"What, _I'm_ not adorable?" Chase asked her in mock-protest, feigning his usual frown, and then narrowing his eyes when he noticed Julius and Renee exchange mischievous looks. "...Okay, I don't like _this_ going on here." He pointed back-and-forth between them, ready to spring up from the bed at a moments' notice. "What are you two plotting?!"

"No, no," Renee assured him airily, patting his chest and grabbing his arm as he jumped up, immediately tugging him back down and pulling a startled yelp from him, "we still have time to make you adorable, too! Don't worry!"

"Yes, Eric," Julius chimed in, flashing a devilish smile. "Don't you want to look your best for Renee, for once?"

"Nooooo no no no no no - she loves me just the way I am, right, Renee?" Chase cut in, shooting a desperate look at Renee, who was still wearing a wicked grin and saying nothing more. He'd have found the expression downright sexy, if he weren't so terrified of what it meant. "...Fuck. Uhh - and, hey, Julius! You - you've got to get ready for Candace, right?!" he reminded them in a last-ditch effort to distract them, prying Renee's fingers off and stumbling back. His usual snarky composure was slipping fast, and he knew he'd made a huge mistake by showing them fear. "Put on your girdle or whatever?"

"I lied," Julius replied sleekly, eyebrow going up, and hands on his hips. "I've perfected the art of looking good quickly. And for that _girdle_ remark," he went on, nose in the air now and an indignant scowl marring his expertly made-up face, "I will exact absolutely _no_ mercy, by the way-"

But Chase was already out into the living room, lunging for the front door before the other two could even blink. "NOPE! See you in an hour, Renee!" he threw over his shoulder hastily, bolting out much like Kasey had only minutes earlier.

A brief silence settled over Julius's house as he and Renee remained in the bedroom, staring blankly at the wide-open front door.

"What a baby," Julius finally scoffed, tossing his hair. Looking down at Renee, he smirked, folding his arms over his ruffled pirate shirt. "Next time, we ambush him. Agreed?"

Renee laughed and stuck out her hand for Julius to shake, sealing the agreement. "Ohhh, yeah! And don't forget to bring your camera!"

"I wouldn't dream of it."

* * *

Dusk was beginning to bleed across Castanet, the fiery glow burning away the cloud cover, and Toby looked up with a pleased smile as he heard Kasey call his name from over by his farm. Calling back and waving, Toby broke into as fast a walk as he could in his usual floppy sandals, Kasey meeting up with him by the path leading up to Dobro Ridge.

Though Kasey's blush was hard to notice in the red flare of the setting sun, it was still evident in his voice as he gave Toby a quick hug and stepped back to survey him, a dopey grin across his face. "Oh, w-wow. You look... g-great..."

Toby scratched the back of his neck sheepishly and returned the grin, the day's heat lingering on his own cheeks - his stomach always did flip-flops when Kasey smiled, showing off a slight gap between his front teeth that Toby found ridiculously cute. Resisting the sudden urge to pull Kasey in without a word and kiss him until they were dizzy, Toby cleared his throat and laughed. "Thanks... you do, too. I mean... _really_ nice," he emphasized, making Kasey's face light up as they took each others' hand and set off down the path, deciding to go wherever their feet took them and chatting easily about how their days had gone.

"...No, seriously! I almost thought he was going to bring out a parrot next and perch it on my shoulder or something. I'm actually kinda sad he didn't, though..."

Chuckling at the mental image of Kasey in his pirate outfit, Toby followed him down onto the little stretch of beach that sat right before the bridge to Harmonica Town. "Gee, what does it say about me that I wouldn't have been surprised if Julius just had a spare parrot laying around?"

"Think it says more about Julius than you, really," Kasey reasoned, bumping him gently, and getting a bump back for his troubles. "So... did Kathy _seriously_ try to stick you in a leather jacket? Mid-summer and all?"

Walking down the sand and watching the waves gently roll in and out, Toby bent down and picked up a glossy seashell, peering into it and holding it up to catch the dying sunlight. "Mmm... I _think_ she was just messing with me there, but... I'm not too sure. All I know is that these-" He stopped and shook one of his legs out slightly, indicating his jeans, "-had chains on them at first." Shaking his head in amusement, he slipped the seashell into his pocket. "I guess she thought they'd match my tattoo or something." Here, he lifted the inked arm slightly, shaking the sleeve back.

Kasey laughed at this, tearing his eyes away from where he'd been watching a hermit crab scuttle across the sand and focusing on Toby's arm as their walking slowed, standing there and letting the refreshing breeze slip through their hair. "I _still_ can't believe how you got that thing," he mused. "Never pegged you for such a, uhh... _badass."_ He snickered as Toby gave him a light kick on the ankle and lost his sandal in the process, shaking his head and tutting. "Guess they know you mean business, huh?"

"Your jealousy breaks my heart, Kasey," Toby responded dryly, slipping his sandal back on. "Don't worry, though. We can go back there and get you a tattoo, too. Maybe a... turnip or something. On your chest," he added with a little smirk, patting Kasey's chest to illustrate the suggestion - only to have Kasey grab his hand and hold it there between them, lacing their fingers together. "...Hey, don't mess with me, now," Toby warned lightly, sticking his tongue out. "I've got a turtle on my arm. I mean business, you know."

Snorting, Kasey let their hands drop while still keeping them clasped, shaking his head. "I think I'll pass on the chest turnip deal. But... you know..." He lifted Toby's sleeve once again, running his fingers along the pattern and feeling the lightly-muscled arm tense up a little - between the fingertips tracing gently across his skin, and the cool sea breeze, Toby felt gooseflesh sweep across his skin. "...This is actually, umm... k-kind of... kind of s... s-sexy..."

Something fluttered in Toby's chest at those words, and his breath hitched as he shot Kasey an awkward, lopsided smile, forming a little dimple on his left cheek. "Heh... can't say I've ever been called sexy before," he finally managed, his voice coming out with a bit of a squeak. Nonetheless, with the way Kasey was looking at him now, he certainly knew the remark had been sincere. He felt something tingle down his spine. "That's... that's more something I'd say about you, but... you, ah, you really... think so, huh?"

With a nervous smile of his own at the compliment, Kasey reached up and cupped Toby's cheek, rubbing it with his thumb and giving a few furtive glances around to make sure nobody could see them. No matter how close they'd gotten before over the past month, his heart still shifted into overdrive when they touched - and in their excitement, they tended to get a little caught up in the moment when they got intimate. "Y-yeah, I... y'know, even when you're not, w-well, dressed up and... and stuff. B-but... you look... you look really h-handsome like this." He let out a quiet, anxious laugh, adding, "K-kinda brings out your, umm... y-your eyes, too..."

His voice was almost a murmur now, and Toby's gentle response was virtually lost beneath the shushing of the waves, the last rays of sunlight casting a weak glow on them as they met for a brief kiss. And another, and another still, growing increasingly comfortable as they went on. Each one lingered just a bit longer than the last, before they finally held it, lips eventually parting so they could deepen it. Their hands gradually roamed about as they intensified their actions - Kasey now kissing down Toby's neck and running his fingers through his boyfriend's messy silver hair, and Toby slipping a hand up the front of Kasey's shirt - before a distant whistling, popping, and sizzling noise abruptly snapped them back to their senses.

The distant flash of color blooming in the sky above Harmonica Town lit them up for a moment as they pulled apart, breathing hard and watching thoughtfully - Toby with a wide grin on his face, and Kasey with his brow furrowed in confusion as he noticed that it was already dark out. _When did that even happen?_

"Ahhh... sh-shit," he stammered quietly, feeling the heat rise back through his face as he came down off of his high, scratching the back of his neck and looking away timidly in spite of what they'd just been doing. "I-I kinda... l-lost track of time. We were supposed to meet the others down at the beach..."

Toby gave a slow nod in reply, shrugging - though he was suddenly feeling a little bit bashful as well after getting carried away like that out in the open, he almost wanted to pull Kasey back in and tell him to forget the fireworks. As it was, he'd been just about ready to pull Kasey's shirt off in his fervor, had it not been for the vest being in the way. _Maybe it's a good thing we got interrupted before it went_ that _far._ "Well," he reasoned gently, grabbing Kasey's hand and squeezing it, "we've still got time to go meet them, you know. And maybe the show hasn't actually started yet," he went on, with a teasing grin as he slipped back into his sandals - which had somehow come off while they'd been kissing - and started walking back up the path towards Harmonica Town. Another firework boomed off by the beach in a green flash, reflecting in Kasey's wide, dark eyes for a moment. "Heh, what if _we_ caused that to happen?"

In spite of his shyness, Kasey laughed and swung their arms up, smacking their joined hands lightly on Toby's shoulder. "Then everyone's probably just standing there, all like... 'Whoa, what the hell? Why are the fireworks happening already? Is it a _witch?!_ '" He briefly let go of Toby's hand for a moment to make a gesture of mock-fright to animate his statement, his face exaggeratedly horrified. He then shook his head ruefully. "Geez... y-you must've _really_ liked how I looked, huh?"

Snorting a bit at this, Toby shook his head and bumped Kasey lightly, like he had earlier. Two fireworks went off high above them, in quick succession. "Yes, but I seem to recall that _you_ started it..."

Kasey stuck his tongue out. "Ahh... I just wanted to start the fireworks early."

Toby mimicked the action. "Oh, well, then that's okay. I guess we can get away with kissing during the show then, huh? And..." He trailed off, gulping as a sheepish chuckle popped out of his throat. "...Oh boy. Uhh... what if they, ahh... figure out why we're late...?"

They were crossing over the bridge now, and Kasey stumbled over a crack in the cobblestones as the realization hit him. The warmth returned to his face once more as he thought back to a few short, wonderful moments ago, and he cleared his throat, waiting for the next few fireworks to fizzle out before going on. "U-uhhh, well... w-we... err. Heh... ahh, screw it," he finally decided, still flustered in spite of his statement. "I-I dunno, they're all... they've been really cool about all this. Heh, it's kind of nice to have them tease us about it, you know?"

He smiled a little at this, Toby nodding thoughtfully as Kasey continued: "It's not, like... _mean_ or anything. Kind of like how I tease Anissa about her and Jin, or how Kathy does with Luna and Gill, yeah?" They were walking past Sonata Tailoring now, taking their time under the blossoming sky, and listening to the crickets sing and owls hoot in-between the colorful explosions. "And then them wanting to get us ready, and why they did it, a-and... just... I dunno. I-I'm still kinda... floored, honestly. It's... it's really nice. I... I really... _really_ lucked out with you guys..."

Not missing Kasey's pointed gaze, Toby squeezed his hand gently and nodded, not minding that he was missing a few more fireworks as they made their way down the stairs past the Brass Bar. "I know how you feel. I think we lucked out even more with you, though," he added as they descended the last step to the lowest level of Harmonica Town, leaning over to give Kasey a soft kiss on the cheek - which was hesitantly returned. "Umm..." He cleared his throat and averted his gaze to the ground, watching his feet stop in front of his house. He sucked in a deep breath, turning to face Kasey, and stroking his cheek. "You know, I... I... err, well... I lo... IloveyouKasey," he finally managed in a quick mumble, a swooping feeling coursing through his stomach as the words hung in the air.

To Kasey's credit, he only laughed a little, looking and sounding far more elated than anything else, before leaning in for another gentle kiss. When he pulled back after a moment, his response was almost too quiet to be heard under the sounds of the next few fireworks being shot into the air, but surprisingly steady: "I love you too, Toby."

Their faces were lit up as brightly as the sky as they continued past Toby's house and towards the shadowed crowd gathered on the distant beach. A few heads turned at their arrival - "Oh, there they are!", "Lookin' good, guys!" - and Kasey spotted their friends waving them over from atop their blankets and under their umbrellas, beckoning for the pair to join them. Kasey and Toby managed to perch down by Chase and Renee, with Kasey nervously drawing an arm around Toby's waist, letting out an exhilarated sigh when Toby returned the gesture after a slight pause, and leaned against him as well.

After exchanging a few compliments and jokes with everyone else, they turned their attention back to the sky, enjoying the remainder of the show together, and looking forward to all the other festivals they'd get to share with each other.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Man, when I told you people this shit was fluffy, I was not fucking around. You were warned. Nonetheless - I ship Kasey/Toby about as hard as I ship Renee/Toby (and that's pretty hard), and was just raring to do at _least_ one one-shot about them. The result? Molasses. Everywhere. As for some of the other stuff? I actually think Renee and Chase would be a bizarrely cute couple (weirder still, I kind of think the same about Maya and _Perry_ ), and the idea of Toby's friends getting him shit-faced drunk and waking up with a brand-new tattoo amused me far too much to leave unwritten. At least he didn't get a heart with a white ribbon that says "TUNA" on it.

Thanks as always to Show The Cook Some Love for pre-reading this treacly shit! Feel free to leave a review, if you'd like. Or your dental bills.


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